Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

Donald Trump, welcome to your everything, everywhere, all at once.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

The current Supreme Court is a rogue court. Very dangerous.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

We’re not going back!

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

People are complicated. Love is not.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

Let’s finish the job.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

The choice is between normal and crazy.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Your Non-Politics Open Thread

Reader Interactions

133Comments

  2. 2.

    MikeJ

    The Simpsons have just started (The Joy of Sect ep) and I’ll be following Mon (and Thomas Keller’s) Poulet Rôti in the hotbox in middle of the second ep.

    Announcer: You are watching FOX!
    The Simpsons: We-Are-Watching-Fox

  3. 3.

    daryljfontaine

    I’m starting in on 24 on my DVR. Gave up on Season 7 about halfway through, but I’m willing to give it another shot. It’s got to be better than this season of Heroes.

    D

  4. 4.

    Karen

    Playing the flashlight game with my kitty Sasha. I shine it on the floor and she goes for it like she’s tweaking on speed! I shake it like a strobe light and she runs in circles. She jumps towards the wall, it’s very amusing.

    Oh and I’m watching American Idol, which is basically the same idea.

  5. 5.

    Colette

    Do big high-rise office buildings generally operate under positive or negative air pressure? In other words, if the glass exterior wall of my 16th-floor office blows out in this storm (it’s flexing and creaking like mad), will I be sucked out the window or blasted back into the corridor?

  6. 6.

    ellaesther

    Okee-dokee, in my on-going effort to know nothing about the politics about which everyone is talking until it’s all fucking settled and the dust is cleared, this seems to be the place for me to be.

    And I will exploit the opportunity to say that I’m doing this odd little project over at my place, kind of live-blogging the MLK book Strength to Love which is, after a lifetime of thinking I knew a fair amount about the man, proving to be something of a revelation.

    If you would care to read and/or comment, I would be only too thrilled! MLK live blog

  9. 9.

    Wile E. Quixote

    We also get new episodes of Burn Notice and Leverage this week. But no more episodes of The Venture Bros until the spring and no episodes of Sons of Anarchy until next fall.

  10. 10.

    Evolutionary

    @Colette: I t depends on which side of the building you are on and how the air swirls around the building. It could be either i think, Hang on.

  12. 12.

    Seth 4:10

    1 vs 100 Live tonight on XBL!

    (also Psych and Leverage are now on at the same time starting next week….boo!)

  13. 13.

    RedKitten

    After many weeks of pondering, I’ve decided that I am at the stage where I wish to purchase a proper grown-up, signature fragrance for myself. After years of cheap and cheerful Body Shop stuff, I want something complex, something interesting, and something that will make me smell like a woman, not a girl. I am wondering if any of the women here have any recommendations (or if any of the men wish to chime in on what perfume they love to smell on a woman.)

  16. 16.

    rob!

    I’ve been wanting to start The Wire for a long time, but some bastard has had Season 1, Disc 1 checked out of my library for, like, a month now.

    I’m so mad it makes me want to mention politics in a non-politics thread.

  17. 17.

    Josie

    @Evolutionary – What a pretty girl. I am jealous of your great pictures. I am a technological illiterate, but I am determined to learn about posting pictures on the internet since I have come to this site. My little dog Mitzi is sleeping and snoring in back of my chair and my big dog Teddi is stretched to full length in front of me. The cats are on their respective chairs and settled in for the night. We could take lessons from them on relaxation and living in the moment.
    Josie

  19. 19.

    Linkmeister

    The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Kemp, Ethier, Martin and Broxton, signing them to one- or two-year contracts.

    Non-political enough for you? ;)

  20. 20.

    SIA

    I’m in the office doing billing and swearing off politics forever. Fortunately office is at home and in about an hour I’m going to go upstairs and watch an English period movie with my girl kitty Juliette. She loves period films.

  21. 21.

    SiubhanDuinne

    This is new:

    On the way home tonight I stopped for a pizza at a place I’ve never tried before. The pizza itself was meh to the infinite power, but I just noticed the receipt label on the pizza box: “Your pizza experience managed by Ebony.”

    My freakin’ *pizza* exfuckinperience??

    *Managed* by Ebony?!

    Ebony: a nice young woman, I have no doubt, but Jeebus! She took my order and she took my money. What she actually *managed* was the square root of sweet F.A.

    And let’s not even get me going on my “pizza experience.”

    How’s Coakley doing? Oh wait, wrong thread?

  23. 23.

    General Winfield Stuck

    No politics in this thread, pls.

    You got it.

    I’m a Jason Bourne junkie. Have all three and watched them all many times. And have never settled on which one is best. I like the first one because it was the first one I saw, and had Franke Potente that made it extra good. But the others are just as great in their own way. but then I’m an old fan of spy thrillers going back to the sixties and the drab gritty cold war spypRon flicks like “The Spy That Came In From The Cold” and The Looking Glass War

  24. 24.

    Annie

    Drinking a glass of wine (ok, on my second glass of wine), reading and preparing for my Thursday class, and wishing those we will not name would just shut up and go away….

    One of my kitties is trying to climb my leg because he has never accepted the fact that he is not a kitten any longer (he is 20+ pounds), and each time he tries to climb, it hurts like hell. But, I love him anyway. Ouch, ouch, ouch — those nails keep digging in…He is nothing if not focused on the task at hand…

  27. 27.

    meh

    have my latest toon to 77 atm…leveling him almost exclusively through BG xp – getting 100k xp per AV and about 30k per WSG – granted I have the heirloom shoulders, chest, and dagger so I’m getting 10% xp bonus (that stacks) on the chest and shoulders so i’m happy as a clam…no more grinding around northrend for me…

  28. 28.

    South of I-10

    You and all your adult shows! I am watching Dinosaur Train with Little South, but it is almost bedtime and I can reclaim the TV. Please allow me one little brag. Little South’s teacher has recommended her for the gifted and talented summer program at my local university. I told y’all she was smart!

  30. 30.

    WereBear

    @Colette: If the flexing is from the lowered barometric pressure from the storm (as is likely) then you would be sucked out.

    You’re welcome.

    Thank you, John Cole, for the edit button.

  31. 31.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @jwb: Really? Wow, that’s great and that whole scene was choreographed great. What kind of class? film?

  32. 32.

    gex

    Powering through the Lost series, starting with season 1, on Netflix streaming over Xbox Live, while teaching myself PHP.

    @rob!: Heck, any reference to the Wire is practically a political reference. Watch out there!

    @ellaesther: Seems we might have enough people for a Ben Stiller support group. When was the last time he was funny and not annoying?

  35. 35.

    Chat Noir

    @RedKitten: My favs include CK One, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Dior Tendre Poison, and Davidoff Cool Water Woman. I also like Red Door, Beautiful, and Carolina Herrera. Before I bought any of these, I tested them on myself first to make sure I could deal with the scent on me.

  36. 36.

    Shell

    Remembered to tape ‘Rosemary and Thyme’ tonight. Murder and gardening, what could be better?

    Out of the blue thought of an old Nick show, ‘Pete and Pete’ that my nephew loved. Found it’s theme song, ‘Hey, Sandy’ on youtube and have been happily playing it thru the evening.

  39. 39.

    daryljfontaine

    True to form, in the first hour, one of the previous guest stars is dead, Jack Bauer has killed the hell out of some dudes, and the evil mole is a woman. Business as usual for escapist action TV.

    D

  42. 42.

    carlos the dwarf

    @gex:

    I saw a trailer for a new movie of his–I’ve forgotten the name of the movie, but the soundtrack is by LCD Soundsystem, so it won’t be all bad.

    Edit: The movie itself looks awful. Ben Stiller moves to the suburbs, refuses to get a job, women throw themselves at him.

    The trailer was shown at a showing of Youth in Revolt, which was a good but not great movie. It was never not enjoyable, but there was nothing overwhelmingly funny, either.

  43. 43.

    tripletee

    I can’t stomach any more politics and my wife has commandeered the TV for that fucking American Idol bullshit. I hate this time of year.

  44. 44.

    Chat Noir

    @Evolutionary: Tasha is gorgeous. My kitties are stationed in various parts of the house resting comfortably. The Wheaten Terror is snoring away next to his crate in the bedroom. It’s just about time for his final pee of the night.

    And I’m thinking about watching season #1 of “All in the Family” on DVD.

  46. 46.

    WereBear

    @RedKitten: Do you like an amber/spicy/sandalwood kind of scent? Deep florals like rose or violet? Light herbals like lavender?

    A good perfume should layer, so you can enjoy a couple of complimentary scents with proximity or age.

    That’s the idea behind the perfume and the bath oil: taking a bath in a version is going to give it a soft greeting note that can travel, and then when someone moves closer they get into the heated perfume range.

    Put one on that interests you and see how it starts out and winds down. It’s the only way you will know its whole reality.

    A perfume you love the scent of should appeal to someone who would be a good match. There’s an evolutionary connection which is now useless to you because you have already reproduced :)

  48. 48.

    Ash Can

    @RedKitten: To really do it right and find something you really like, you should go to a department store and sniff just a few fragrances at a time. Your nose gets desensitized after sniffing too many fragrances, so you have to be patient, and maybe make multiple trips. (I’ve seen cosmetics counters that keep little bowls of coffee beans on hand to sniff between fragrances, to “cleanse the palate” so to speak.) When you smell something that you like well enough to test, spritz a little on, then let it wear for a while. Fragrances smell different on your skin as opposed to when they’re still in the bottle, and they change over the time they’re on your skin too. If a fragrance still smells good to you when it’s wearing off, you have a winner. This is also how to find out whether the fragrance has staying power for you once it’s on your skin.

    The sales gals at the cosmetics counters can help you out too. If you can give them an idea of what kind of fragrance you prefer (sweet, floral, spicy, green, citrus, whatever) they can guide your search.

    Have fun!

  49. 49.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @Annie: Yea, I’m more wound up and sick of politics than I thought. Don’t know what’s up or down anymore in that realm. Doggies kittehs and movies for moi” till further notice.

  50. 50.

    Jill (aka jwh186)

    Rachel Maddow just gave Balloon Juice a shout-out citing the post “A strange poll from Massachusetts.” Sorry, John. I know you said no politics but I thought this would be an okay exception. Hope you’re feeling better today!

  51. 51.

    Shell

    And since this is an open thread…some fun news.

    In England, Thames Valley police were reprimanded for using their riot shields for sledding thru the snow.

    Noone would have known if the cops hadn’t uploaded film of themselves on youtube.

  52. 52.

    bkny

    inherit the wind on tcm. it’s useful to watch these old movies and be reminded of the long history of stupid in this country that we somehow tamp down at the brink; although only to see it rise again a few years down the road.

  53. 53.

    Annie

    @WereBear:

    I love lavender. I can’t wear strong scents — they remind me of all of my elderly aunts — so I just love lavender sprays…

  55. 55.

    Captain Goto

    Doing Jason Bourne here…in eastern PA, the hotel TV’s don’t typically carry Pens hockey, so it’s catch-as-catch-can.

  56. 56.

    Karen

    @RedKitten

    You mentioned you didn’t want the Body Shop anymore but you can get specially made essential oil mixes. My favorite was grapseed oil, jasmine and neroli (orange). It smells quite sexy.

  57. 57.

    Comrade Kevin

    Jeopardy! at 7, then Sharks vs. Kings at 7:30. I hope the Sharks have some offense left over after last night’s game.

  58. 58.

    RedKitten

    Yeah, I prefer woodsy, ambery scents, but not TOO heavy — nothing cloying. I don’t mind florals if they smell like actual flowers, as opposed to flower-scented baby powder. Right now I just layer vanilla and jasmine perfume oils. It’s nice, but I’d like something more complex.

  59. 59.

    daryljfontaine

    @freelancer: It fills the same entertainment niche for me as mindless 80s action movies, with some interesting alternate-present geopolitics. I’m at 1:15 in, and Kiefer Sutherland still hasn’t yelled at anyone like that — but the evil mole may not be the evil mole. Predictable show is predictable.

    D

  60. 60.

    Tsulagi

    No politics in this thread, pls.

    What, not enough pain meds?

    Bourne Ultimatum is good; liked it. If you’re looking for some comedy, maybe try Bruno. Hadn’t watched it earlier because some said it sucked, but I thought it pretty funny. Especially liked the gay cage match scene and Bruno hitting on Ron Paul.

    @RedKitten: That’s a good idea. Rather than one, my SO has a couple of “signature” scents. My fave is the one that tells me she’s in the mood, or at least could be good to me if I behave. Come home and smell it, I’m instantly in good humor. Help out with dinner, sort out the kids’ laundry, anything thinking of the good time to come. Try not to rush the kids off to bed too early.

    That woman could teach training to Pavlov.

  62. 62.

    South of I-10

    @RedKitten: My two current favorites are Origins Ginger and Donna Karan Chaos. Chaos was off the market for a long time and was recently revived.

  63. 63.

    Svensker

    @RedKitten:

    Well, it completely depends on what kind of smells you like. Dark and musky? Exotic? Fresh and green? Woodsy? Citrusy and bright? Floral?

    I can’t stand musky perfumes. I love Crabtree’s Lavender. For fresh and bright, especially in the summer, I love 4711 Cologne (men can use it, too). For everday green, I like Coriandre (which is hard to find). For sophisticated days I LOVE Miss Dior (an old classic). And I have an unknown exotic (the top is shaped like an Indian temple) that I use when I’m feeling sultry.

  68. 68.

    AB

    Dragging my body in from the politics thread. What have we got to serve in the line of “cheap humor”?

  69. 69.

    daryljfontaine

    @WaterGirl: My bad. But seriously, take previous seasons’ frameworks, change the names and/or positions of the supporting players, and shake well. The show doesn’t aim for new ground.

    None of the new CTU players have any charisma at all. Thank the stars for Chloe O’Brien.

    D

  70. 70.

    Svensker

    @RedKitten:

    Really, the best thing to do is go to a perfume counter and smell a few things, then try them on, as someone upthread said. Perfumes react so differently to different skin — something you like in the bottle may make you feel like retching when it’s on you for a bit. And the stuff is so bleeding expensive, you don’t want to BE buying ones you don’t like too often.

    Speaking of retching, OT, but Coakley concedes to Brown.

  72. 72.

    Annie

    @RedKitten:

    I can understand your need for change. I have to say, however, that in addition to lavender, I love vanilla and jasmine perfume oils. They are so subtle, refreshing, and feel great against the skin. I think scent is all about how it makes us feel. I love to feel earthy, but not musky.

  74. 74.

    RedKitten

    Thanks for the tips, everybody. I’m kind of looking forward to perfume shopping — it feels so indulgent! (Can you tell I don’t spend a lot of time on myself anymore?)

  75. 75.

    WaterGirl

    @daryljfontaine: I watch with a friend and we plan to watch the first 2 episodes sometime next week. Good to know Chloe is back (I swear I saw her on some commercial or something this week, unrelated to 24). Not so good to hear that the new cast is lacking in charisma!

    Gotta love Tivo – I can watch 24 but fast forward through all the torture scenes…

  76. 76.

    jeffreyw

    Thanks to the previous book thread, my email is alerting me every few minutes now with a purchase confirmation.

  77. 77.

    Ash Can

    @RedKitten: I tried posting this a little while ago, but I think it got trampled in the Maddow-stampede. Based on your preferences, I recommend checking out Annick Goutal perfumes if any of your local stores carry them. They’re fresh and natural and refined.

  79. 79.

    Tax Analyst

    @ #21 SiubhanDuinne said:

    On the way home tonight I stopped for a pizza at a place I’ve never tried before. The pizza itself was meh to the infinite power, but I just noticed the receipt label on the pizza box: “Your pizza experience managed by Ebony.”

    etc.

    Somehow this reminds me of the first “pizza experience” I had after moving out of my parents house at 19 (1969).

    I tried a new place that had posted a coupon at the market. The guy shows up wearing an Italian restaurant waiter outfit and a little toaster oven with the pizza inside. I went to pay and tip him but he insisted he was supposed to come in and serve me the first slice. This was more than a little weird since I was on acid and I had this plate with this funny white powder formed into lines on that kitchen table that he felt compelled to serve me on. I hesitated a moment but finally motioned him in (yeah, that was also pretty weird). Now keep in mind that I had hair halfway to my ass and a full beard at the the time and I think this was about two weeks after Charles Manson’s twisted picture hit the front page of the L.A. Times. I sensed we were both more than a little bit uncomfortable about the whole thing, but when he left I started laughing hysterically and it took me several minutes before I could take a bite of pizza without the risk of choking to death.

    I’m pretty sure the guy quit that gig as soon as he got back to the restaurant.

    Oh, BTW – That pizza was also “MEH to the infinite…” and I never ordered from that place again.

    Can’t get much less political than that, can we?

  80. 80.

    Annie

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    Been there. Done that. It’s hell, but worth it in the end. If nothing else, it buys you a seat at the table with senior faculty…Then, of course, comes the pressure of producing your first book….or a sufficient number of acceptable articles.

    My approach when I couldn’t stand another day was to escape to the field and actually do development work, and hope that somehow my diss would write itself. Hence, I probably hold the record for the most number of extensions in my former department. Two members of my original committee actually died before I finished…

  81. 81.

    PurpleGirl

    Redkitten: My favorite scent is Cabochard by Gres. It’s an oldie but I think goodie; it was first formulated in 1959. It’s categorized as a leather but it’s light and it has floral tones too. (I received a small bottle of the perfume as a gift from Nicholas Nabakov when I did some typing for him way back in the early 1970s.) I should start wearing it again more often.

  82. 82.

    Seanly

    Watching Star Trek Next Gen then get online for some Xbox 360 MW2. Newb tubes FTW!

    I recently watched The Hindenburg and Conan on Netflix. Maybe I’ll watch Outland tonight…

    Netflix View Instantly is the best part of my membership. Netflix itself is the best use of $9 a month that I can think of. Resisting temptation to make snarky comment about health care costs…

  83. 83.

    daryljfontaine

    1:38 in, he tries to get out but they keep pulling him back in! (Spoiler, sure, but are we really surprised?) Also blah blah blah, new character has annoying B-plot — not as annoying as Kim and the cougar, though.

    D

  85. 85.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Just saw that Erich Segal has died. For you young whippersnappers who might not know his name, he wrote “Love Story.”

    All in all, I’m sadder about Robert B. Parker.

  86. 86.

    jeffreyw

    @Seanly: I hate you guys with your fancy fast tubes. Fuck Hughes satellite. Netflix runs a test for their movie streaming, they tell me to wait at the mailbox, best I can do.

  88. 88.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Shell #36: Oooh, does this mean there’s a new Rosemary and Thyme season? I have the first three seasons on DVD — the show is a lot of fun, if hardly profound — but I was under the impression that it was over, done, kaput, finis. Tell me I’m wrong.

  89. 89.

    Sentient Puddle

    So over the weekend, I picked up The Beatles in Mono. Kind of a weird impulsive decision on my part, considering I already have the stereo box set, but I was somehow allured into it by hearing how different the mono mixes are.

    Yeah, holy fuck. I’m no audiophile, but this is awesome shit. I’m listening to Helter Skelter now (for need of listening to a loud aggressive song), and even it feels like it’s incredibly different.

    Or it may just be that I’m rather drunk. Who knows.

  90. 90.

    BGK

    @jeffreyw:

    Hughes satellite.

    We have a developer who works remotely from his farm (!) near Ocala three days a week, and comes into the Clearwater office two days a week. We can tell when he’s home, and working off his satellite internet, because his e-mails appear as if written on a teletype. First thing to go are the vowels.

  92. 92.

    Paul

    I’m listening to Tom Waits’ Glitter & Doom concert. Not the CD but the whole two hour and so many minutes show, which I downloaded to my iPod, free of charge, from NPR’s Live Concerts from All Songs Considered.

    Maybe I’m the last one to the party but I just discovered a batch of great stuff there like Nick Lowe, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Richard Thompson to name a few. Gotta remember to send them a few bucks this year.

  93. 93.

    West of the Cascades

    Sabres playing on the west coast tonight – don’t have to miss the first period as I usually do when it’s a 4 pm start in this time zone!

  95. 95.

    WereBear

    @SiubhanDuinne: Well, criminy.

    Just saw that Erich Segal has died. For you young whippersnappers who might not know his name, he wrote “Love Story.” All in all, I’m sadder about Robert B. Parker.

    One is a cesspit of emotional violence and the other is about a private detective.

  98. 98.

    jeffreyw

    @Evolutionary: He’s chased many a squirrel, hasn’t caught one. He does do a lot of barking at them but I can’t understand what he’s saying. I say barking, but it is really more like the squeal of an auntie at first sight of a new niece.

  100. 100.

    Nellcote

    @Paul:

    I’m listening to Tom Waits’ Glitter & Doom concert. Not the CD but the whole two hour and so many minutes show, which I downloaded to my iPod, free of charge, from NPR’s Live Concerts from All Songs Considered.

    Awesome! Thanks for the tip. Love that Tommy Waits.

  104. 104.

    General Winfield Stuck

    @Wonk Hussein: You are my hero and savior Mr. Wonk. I helped keep the last one alive here with numerous links. Just what the doctor ordered. Thank you!!

  106. 106.

    WereBear

    @gex: If you get the Arthur Brown CD, (I’m not sure what the title is, it’s loaded on the other computer–the one where he begins the song “I am the god of hellfire”) you get all the mono tracks, too. Really interesting.

  107. 107.

    SIA

    @freelancer: ha! Thought I was going to be the first to post that Rachel had mentioned BJ. When I tried to post, I lost the connection. 10M other people had the same idea I gues.

  110. 110.

    Anne Laurie

    @Colette:

    Do big high-rise office buildings generally operate under positive or negative air pressure? In other words, if the glass exterior wall of my 16th-floor office blows out in this storm (it’s flexing and creaking like mad), will I be sucked out the window or blasted back into the corridor?

    Neither. Hand to goddess, I was there when one of the floor-to-ceiling glass exterior panes on the 60th floor of the office cracked straight across. You know how windshield glass is made, with layers of plastic coating on either side of the glass? Well, skyscraper windows are a steroid-enhanced version — an inch-plus layer of glass between two surprisingly thick flexible films. The janitors had to remove the chunks with pliers the length of my forearm before the replacement people came in. One of the other secretaries was mildly acrophobic, and after that she kept a clear vase full of the chunks on her desk because she found it reassuring.

    This was in Boston, but I can’t imagine San Francisco’s building codes are less rigorous.

  111. 111.

    Anne Laurie

    @RedKitten:

    After many weeks of pondering, I’ve decided that I am at the stage where I wish to purchase a proper grown-up, signature fragrance for myself…

    Try all the tiny test bottle sizes you can get your hands on, just not all at once. Decide what “type” of scent makes you happiest — floral? oriental? musky? — and try each one over 2 or 3 days. What the people pushing the most expensive brands don’t tell you is that your individual body chemistry makes a HUGE difference in how a scent is perceived, especially if you’re more to the “acid” end of the Ph scale. I love the way Chanel No. 19 smells in the bottle, but I could soak my clothes in it, go out dripping wet, and the scent would evaporate before my undies dried as far as clammy. On the other hand, I’ve gotten lots of compliments when I wear Avon’s Far & Away, which is the opposite of prestigious but fortunately I’m not required to wear the brand name on my shirt. YMM(WP)V, but don’t automatically assume that a nice perfume has to be expensive. I’ve also heard lots of good things about a number of the Arden and Liz Claiborne fragrances, for instance.

  112. 112.

    Anne Laurie

    @South of I-10:

    Little South’s teacher has recommended her for the gifted and talented summer program at my local university. I told y’all she was smart

    Good for Little South, and congratulations to her mom also!

  113. 113.

    Yutsano

    @South of I-10: Note of caution about the gifted programs. Make sure it not only enhances her talents but also interests her. Speaking as someone who went through gifted programs throughout my elementary school career, I found them boring and useless. I knew enough to graduate high school when I was in the seventh grade, from there it was all downhill and my high school grades reflected that. In fact my mom got tired of hearing me whine, “But I KNOW all this already! Why are we repeating it?” Just some food for thought. Also, this does not apply to any AP courses when said young one gets to high school, as those are completely different animals and actually ain’t all that bad.

  114. 114.

    Sentient Puddle

    @gex: I had not either, unless you count the first four albums on their original CD release. But yeah…damn!

    Also a huge fan of the packaging. I was nowhere close to being alive during the time The Beatles were doing their thing, so to have something that so closely resembles the original vinyl releases…well, now all I need now to be complete is for Lennon and Harrison to rise from the dead and feel like performing with the other two on the roof of the Abbey Road studios while I happen to be visiting England and wandering by.

  115. 115.

    elisathon

    @RedKitten:
    Finally, something I can contribute. (lurker)

    Werebear & Ash Can clearly know where of they speak.
    Don’t make a final decision on a scent from the bottle, ‘real’ perfumes develop on the skin & do actually smell slightly different on each person, and it takes at least few minutes. If you think you might like it skin test it, do you still like it hours later, at home?

    Once you find your perfume, buy the perfume not the toilet water or eau de perfume or cologne – it costs a little more but it is so much more concentrated that it will last far longer, and last longer on your skin. Plus the bottles tend to be prettier. Keep perfume away from extreme temperatures & light.

    You might like:
    Chanel No 22 – orange blossoms, warm, slightly spicy – wait at least several minutes for it to develop on your skin, it can be a tiny bit sharp fresh from the bottle. Try No 5 too, of course, No 19 is also great but is green-spicey, some people find it a little sneezey at first.

    ‘Neroli’ by Occitane – another orange blossom base but a different kind of warm & spicy, also comes in a nice solid perfume in a lip gloss-sized tin, very handy, as well as a fairly complete line of bath & skin products.
    Also by Occitane, ‘Ambre,’ warm, slightly vanilla but not sweet. Occitane has many lovely scents, and the little solid perfumes are a great inexpensive way to try several.

    It’s not in every department store, but if you see Paco Rabanne perfumes, you might take a sniff at ‘Calandre.’

    I second Chat Noir’s rec. of ‘Carolina Herrera,’ and Svensker’s rec. of ‘Miss Dior,’ ‘Diorissima’ is also lovely but sweeter, lily of the valley. And take a sniff of the men’s colognes – some are really yummy, especially Dior’s Eau Savage.

    Have fun.

  116. 116.

    mclaren

    Zoolander! The ultimate millenial demented comedy!

    “They’re breakdance-fighting…!”

    Yes, the fashion industry really is behind all the major assassinations and worlds wars of the past 100 years.

    MUGATU FOR PRESIDENT 2012!!!

  117. 117.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Ditto this advice, but ‘grats, South, on the smart offspring.

    @RedKitten: Oooh, I get to be contrary again–my favorite. I say, go for nothing! I am allergic to all scents, so I wear nothing.

    Tasha, Jack, and Rizzo are just too too cute. Both my boys are sacked out on my lap (well, one on my lap and one on my ankles). They love the warmth during the winter.

  118. 118.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: I’m allergic to all colognes too. I made my Canadian co-worker feel massively guilty one night when she sprayed it while playing around and I congested up in about ten minutes. In hindsight it was funny but at the time I turned into a miserable bitch for the rest of the night.

  120. 120.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: I am too, but not for reasons you might think. Actually I think I’m getting a cold. That and I have way too much shit to do on Friday now that I have no idea if I’m going to get it all done. In the evil corpio side of things I’m gonna get revenge on the douchebag co-worker (not the Canadian, she rocks my existence) by trying to become his boss. Maybe if I do it’ll push him out the door. If not he won’t be able to get away with shit. And if I don’t get it for sure I’m bailing when I get back from the wedding in April I’m going to.

    Also: Regina King is fucking amazing, I’m watching Southland and they just picked up the baby. The look of death she shot her partner when he suggested driving without a car seat, man. You can’t teach acting like that.

  121. 121.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Damn, your work sounds stressful. I do hope you are able to put that guy in check. If not, say, bye-bye assholes! (As long as you have another job lined up).

    I’m low for many reasons. The election was just the piss frosting on the shit cake.

  122. 122.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: It was actually a really decent place to work until this guy started there. What really sucks is he had worked for the company before so it was really difficult to say no to hiring him back. He’s a walking sexual harassment suit on top of everything else, he just does it all when no one is watching him so it’s more a he said/she said situation. I can really trace the vast majority of my workplace issues to him. Something needs to change here, I’m just amenable to more than one possibility.

    Oh and I got an e-mail from the gay cowboy. He’s gushing over the kidlet, it’s really cute. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.

  123. 123.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Ew on your coworker. Just, ew. As for the gay cowboy, did you read the “UnGay” thread down below? I thought of your cowboy friend as I read it, but only because of context. I’m sure your friend is not as batshitcrazy insane as that guy.

  124. 124.

    LABiker

    I watched Zoolander on channel 9044 (DishTV) at my cousin’s while dog sitting over the weekend, but I missed the gasoline fight which is one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema. The walk-off was good though.

  125. 125.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: He’s a semi-professional bullrider, so I would be rather cautious about not calling him batshit crazy. In fact he screams adrenalin junkie. He is settling down in the life of a rancher though so he might just be getting domesticated. We’ll see though, odds are he’ll teach his son to be as wild as he is.

  127. 127.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Oh no. The very first thing he said is he’s still very much gay. He had no intention of marrying her, but they are raising him jointly. I don’t think he’s going to do the nukular family thing, but he is feathering a nest. I should offer to buy him an apron. That should provoke an interesting reaction.

  128. 128.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Then he’s not as batshitcrazy as the guy who thinks he can put up with women long enough to get the job done because gay men only want babies as accessories. Send him the apron! Pink. Heh.

  129. 129.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: I’m going for a joke, not a deathwish. He’s very proud of his rifle, and no not the one in between his legs. Although maybe a pink cowboy hat would be a riot…

    I have no words for that article. Like none. Wow. He decides he doesn’t fit a stereotype therefore he’s not gay? If that were true I should have been married with kids years go.

  130. 130.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Well, you ARE (fake) married to me, so you’re halfway there! Yeah, I really hope that article was satire, but I have a sinking feeling it wasn’t. And, as my fake-wife pointed out, what gal wouldn’t want to get with a guy like that?

  131. 131.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: What IS it about gay men being some kind of trophy for straight women? Does the whole sexuality is a continuum not register with them? I’m not entirely certain it applies to the cowboy (knowing him he was just damn horny) but even so we all have sexual experiences that fall outside our self-defined norms. Hell even I have a past there!

  132. 132.

    South of I-10

    @Yutsano: I know what you mean. She is excited about it, and I told her she could pick the classes she wants to take. This is supposed to be fun, she is only five. They have several art and music classes that she wants to take.

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